Resilient Gardner paces Temecula Valley win over Murrieta Valley

But when he was 5 years old, Jordan Gardner found a way to make it all work.

“I was kind of wobbly with the casts, but I didn’t let it affect me,” said Gardner, now an outfielder for the Temecula Valley baseball team. “I was even doing cartwheels with those things on.

“I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from doing the things I love to do.”

What Gardner loves doing most is playing baseball. His two hits, two runs scored and run batted in contributed heavily to the Golden Bears' 8-2 victory over Murrieta Valley on Friday.

The odds of Gardner excelling at the varsity level appeared shaky 12 years ago when he was diagnosed with Legg–Calve–Perthes Syndrome, a rare disease of the hip that affects approximately one in 1,200 children.

“He’s showed a lot of perseverance, and he’s overcome a lot of things,” said Temecula Valley shortstop Kyle Plantier, who produced two hits and three RBI as part of an 11-hit attack. “It’s hard to get over all of those injuries when you’re so young.”

Two hip surgeries forced Gardner to spend nine months in various body casts.

“I’ve been through a lot. I’ve got to work hard and just keep on playing,” Gardner said. “I don’t take anything for granted out there. I’m just playing the sport I love.”

Illness and injuries have plagued Gardner since he broke both wrists when he was 2.

“I get hurt a lot, but it is just part of life,” said Gardner, who’s batting .450 with six runs scored. “I’m not really worried about it. If it comes, it comes.”

He’s fractured his right ankle three times and his left ankle once. A near collision at home plate led to one of those ankle fractures, which cost him most of his freshman baseball season.

“He’s really stepped up his game and come back from the injury,” said leadoff hitter David Maldonado, who scored twice and reached base safely four times, including a pair of singles. “He’s swinging the bat well and making plays in the outfield.

“He’s getting on base a lot, and he’s scoring a lot of runs.”

Both of Gardner’s base hits went to right field. The first was a perfectly executed hit-and-run ground ball which helped lead to a five-run top of the fourth inning. That helped push Temecula Valley to its 5-0 start in league (9-1 overall).